A special thanks to: Ryan at RMJ for making the best Tactical Tomahawk in existence; Ashley for trusting me to lift her safely while holding sharp objects; and to Doc Smith for putting me on the spot and kindly volunteering his assistant!

Happy Constitution Day!

If you haven’t read the Constitution lately, click on the link below and read it today; preferably to your entire family, neighbors, and friends.

United States Supreme Court, 1963 in the case of School District of Abington Township v. Schempp

“It is true that religion has been closely identified with our history and government. As we said in Engle v. Vitale, “The history of man is inseparable from the history of religion.”

“Secularism is unconstitutional…preferring those who do not believe over those who do believe…It is the duty of government to deter no-belief religions….Facilities of government cannot offend religious principles…”

“The State may not establish a ‘religion of secularism’ in the sense of affirmatively opposing or showing hostility to religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.”

On May 19, 1643, John Winthrop organized the New England Confederation among the colonists of New Plymouth, New Haven, Massachusetts and Connecticut. They covenanted together under theConstitution of the New England Confederation:

“Whereas we all came to these parts of America with the same end and aim, namely, to advance the kindome of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to injoy the liberties of the Gospell thereof with purities and peace, and for preserving and propagating the truth and liberties of the gospell.”

John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (1746-1807), a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1774, was a 30 year old pastor who preached on the Christian’s responsibility to be involved in securing freedom for America. In 1775, after preaching a message on Ecclesiates 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven,” Pastor John closed his message by saying;

“In the language of the Holy Writ, there is a time for all things. There is a time to preach and a time to fight. And now is the time to fight.”

He then threw off his clerical robes to reveal the uniform of an officer in the Revolutionary Army. That afternoon, at the head of 300 men, John Peter muhlenberg marched off to join General Washington’s troops and became Colonel of the 8th Virginia Regiment. He served until the end of the war, during which he was promoted to the rank of Major General.

All-American boyhood - TMM“Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.” - Ernest Shackleton, USS Endurance“These things Ihave spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In theworld you have tribulation, but take courage; I haveovercometheworld.” - John 16:33

“Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-fiveyears old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.” - Joshua 14:10-11

For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said,

“I love You, O LORD, my strength.

LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.2

I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.3

The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.4

The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.5

In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.6

Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.7

Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.8

He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet.9

He rode upon a cherub and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind.10

He made darkness His hiding place, His canopyaround Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.11

From the brightness before Him passed His thickclouds, Hailstones and coals of fire.12

The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.13

He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.14

Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.15

He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.16

He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.17

They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay.18

He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.19

The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.20

For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.21

For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me.22

I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.23

Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.24

With the kind You show Yourself kind; With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;25

With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.26

For You save an afflicted people, But haughty eyesYou abase.27

For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illuminesmy darkness.28

For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.29

As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refugein Him.30

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock,except our God,31

The God who girds me with strength And makesmy way blameless?32

He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me upon my high places.33

He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.34

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.35

You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.36

I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed.37

I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet.38

For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.39

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me.40

They cried for help, but there was none to save,Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.41

Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.42

You have delivered me from the contentions of the people; You have placed me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me.43

As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners submit to me.44

Foreigners fade away, And come trembling out of their fortresses.45

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exaltedbe the God of my salvation,46

The God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me.47

He delivers me from my enemies; Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man.48

Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.49

He gives great deliverance to His king, And showslovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever.50